Carabao Cup VAR rules explained as Man United and Man City get important reminder

The Carabao Cup round of 16 will not feature the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Southampton and Brentford secured their places in the quarter-finals on Tuesday evening, having defeated Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.

On Wednesday night, Brighton will host Liverpool in the early kick-off. This will be followed by matches between Arsenal and Preston North End, Manchester United and Leicester City, Chelsea and Newcastle, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace before Tottenham Hotspur take on Manchester City in the later tie.

Due to competition rules, VAR will not be used in this round, putting the on-field match officials firmly in the spotlight. The technology was first introduced ahead of the 2018/19 season as part of testing for its eventual introduction in the Premier League the following season.

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During that term, it was used in every round of the tournament. However, from the 2019/20 season, the English Football League decided to abandon VAR before the semi-final due to the system only being available at English top-flight venues, ensuring no team had an unfair advantage.

Therefore, the technology will only be utilised during the Carabao Cup in the semi-finals, as well as the final at Wembley Stadium. Despite many Championship stadiums installing VAR since then, the rules remain unchanged, reports Football London.

Premier League bosses have vented their frustrations over the absence of VAR at grounds where the technology is installed. Criticism peaked in December 2022, when Jurgen Klopp lamented the lack of VAR during his team's fourth-round defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

The former Liverpool boss said: "The first chance of Haaland, at the start of the game, was offside. You don't know? Yes it was. I tell you. That gives the game direction. It was like, bump, 'oh my god, they are through', it was offside, but no flag up, and it gives you a bad feeling.

"You don't know? Yes it was. I tell you. That gives the game direction. It was like, bump, 'oh my god, they are through', it was offside, but no flag up, and it gives you a bad feeling."

Klopp added: "I would say if we had VAR, the referees are used to VAR, and all of a sudden you tell them not today. It looked like in a couple of situations they were waiting for it, or thinking there was still VAR.

"But there were a couple of offside decisions, where everyone in the stadium was convinced they were offside. We'll never know probably because we can't play them back.

"But it makes sense if you play a competition and everywhere is VAR [Premier League], why not, especially in a game like this. I understand in earlier rounds it's not possible on all levels, but this, City-Liverpool, all the technical things are here, so why shouldn't we use it?"

Earlier in the season, Andoni Iraola questioned the lack of VAR after a controversial goal led to Bournemouth's exit in the second round at the hands of West Ham. The Cherries' boss said: "When you think it's impossible something else happens, OK, but it has happened again.

"It's even more clear. I don't know what to say. We are not making these mistakes but we are suffering the consequences, and we are out of the competition because of a mistake."

"I don't know what we have to do to change something but obviously it's costing us a lot. We haven't won on Sunday because of VAR and we are out of the cup because there is no VAR."

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